An opposition lawmaker on Tuesday called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan.
Levon Kocharyan, a member of the opposition Hayastan alliance, who was speaking at the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Committee meeting currently underway in Yerevan, cited Azerbaijan’s ongoing violations of international law for his appeal to the EU.
“The forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh is a serious violation of international law. We call on the EU to make efforts in order for the displaced persons to be able to safely return under international protection, and we call for support to achieve the release of all Armenian prisoners held in Baku,” Kocharyan said.
He also praised the European Parliament for calling out Azerbaijan for its aggression and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The statements about the right to return of the displaced persons, the release of detainees and prisoners, protection of Armenian cultural heritage are highly important steps for accountability and justice. These measures are important not only for addressing the injustice of the past, but also ensuring long-term regional stability. This must remain a priority for both the EU and the international community,” Kocharyan explained.
A discussion was also held during the joint forum about the sham trials currently underway in Baku of Artsakh leaders, who were taken captive soon after Azerbaijan launched an attack on Artsakh in September 2023, forcing the displacement of the local Armenian population.
Speaking at the parliamentary forum, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan said that the fact that Armenians are still being held captive in Azerbaijan is “shameful.”
“Our prisoners are still there, which is a shameful process for Baku. We ask all our partners to be involved in the efforts that we are making for peace,” Hovhannisyan said.
Speaking about the Turkey-Armenia normalization process, Hovhannisyan said that Armenia has taken many steps in this process.
Official Ankara continues to push the signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan that favors Baku as a precondition for normalizing relations with Armenia.
A member of the European Parliament, Nils Ušakovs, from Latvia, on Tuesday urged Turkey to separate the opening of the border with Armenia from the Yerevan-Baku normalization process.
“We call on Ankara to separate border issues from the Armenia-Azerbaijan relations agenda,” Ušakovs said during the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Council meeting.
Ušakovs emphasized that the EU is interested in the Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, describing the implementation of the project as highly important for the entire region.
He highlighted that Armenia must be able to freely choose a European future, which implies also economic diversification, which is yet another reason to focus on opening of connection routes.
